Sapelo Island NERR research and monitoring programs aim to promote and provide support for coastal environment, specifically estuarine, research efforts within the NERR System and the SINERR.

Research is currently being conducted by representatives of:

  • University of Georgia Marine Institute
  • University of Georgia School of Marine Programs
  • Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
  • University of Georgia Marine Extension Program
  • Georgia Tech
  • Georgia Southern University

NERR System initiatives include the System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP)for water quality and meteorological monitoring within each reserve’s watershed. The data collected provides a national baseline for assessment of short-term variability and long-term trends in our nation’s estuaries.

Other SINERR projects include:

  • Habitat restoration
  • Oyster reef ecological studies
  • Invasive species monitoring

SINERR also participates in the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (GCE LTER) program and is involved with the development of International Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) efforts in the NERR system and on the Georgia coast.